A Texas Man Thought He Was Allowed to Fire a Warning Shot in a Road Rage Incident

Does having a concealed carry permit allow you to shoot at another car in a road rage incident? One guy in Texas thinks it does.

On January 4th outside of Austin on Bee Caves Road near Capital of Texas Highway, one driver flipped off another, and that started somethin'. The arrest affidavit said the first driver got into the left hand turn lane, and the second driver turned left in front of him and almost hit him, so the victim “gave the driver the ‘finger’ and sped away onto the on-ramp.”

Eventually, 35-year-old Ernesto Molinary-Garcia pulled out a gun and fired what he called a warning shot, and it hit the first driver's car. That driver said he heard the pop sound, but the bullet didn't hit him.

Molinary-Garcia told officers he thought he was allowed to shoot a warning shot since he's a Licensed Handgun Carrier. Police disagreed, and Molinary-Garcia faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and that's a second-degree felony.

Two things we can learn from our Texas friends in this story. Having a weapons permit does not include a pass to fire warning shots. And don't flip off another driver, because ya never know what kind of trouble is coming after you let that bird fly. Drive safely.